{"id":16725,"date":"2024-03-17T10:42:52","date_gmt":"2024-03-17T05:12:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thetalentedindian.com\/?p=16725"},"modified":"2024-03-19T12:15:19","modified_gmt":"2024-03-19T06:45:19","slug":"toxic-work-culture-the-sad-reality-we-all-live-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetalentedindian.com\/toxic-work-culture-the-sad-reality-we-all-live-in\/","title":{"rendered":"Toxic Work Culture: The Sad Reality We All Live In"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
The first thing that one finds in a company handbook is their zero tolerance for any kind of misconduct and harassment in the workplace which would lead to the creation of a toxic work culture. But in reality, how many workplaces actually follow through with their policies? And can you blame them? After all, who has the time for all that? But one man posts it on their social media or takes their own life because of how unbearable it becomes and then astonishingly they have all the time in the world to find out whether they were truly responsible or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sounds scary? But sadly, this is the reality of over a million Indians in India. With fresh graduates desperately looking for jobs to make ends meet, companies get the upper hand in deciding their fate. They ensure that company policies are set in place to protect the rights of the worker. But the reality is that more often than not they are just mere formality to ensure that their workers think they are protected. But the real question is are they truly protected? Let\u2019s dig deep into this with a few case studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Saurabh Kumar, a bright 25-year-old chap took his own life<\/a> on 23rd February, 2024. From the outside, it appeared as if Saurabh had achieved everything that a person dreamt of. He graduated from premier institutes in India such as IIT & IIM. Further, he was working as a consultant for one of the top MNCs McKinsey & Company. Everything seemed fine until one day he came back home and jumped off his balcony late at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although investigations are still underway, the statement from his girlfriend who he had last contacted before taking his own life highlighted the pressure he was facing at work was taking a toll on him. This revelation gave a new direction to the ongoing investigation. The police now are trying to uncover the situations at his workplace that pushed him to take such a step. The culprit of the murder is yet to be reprimanded. And if the workplace indeed is the one guilty it\u2019s really hard to put it behind bars. Simply because of its immense influence and the abstract nature of its existence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the husband of the deceased Poonam Gupta (Manager, F. & A.), the chief manager, director and secretary of the Central Board of Irrigation and Power (CBIP) had abetted her in her suicide attempt on May 5, 2020, by pressurising her and forcing her to put up with a hostile work environment by taking no actions to help her in this respect. The husband even informed the court how his wife had tried to contact the secretary of CBIP with two separate e-mails. But no action was taken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A single-judge bench of Justice Jasmeet Singh was hearing the plea for anticipatory bail for the former secretary of CBIP. (Note: Bail was already granted to the chief manager and the director). And concluded that the secretary could not be held liable for the suicide of Poonam Gupta. This is because the secretary is not legally mandated to act on those emails. \u201cAt best not acting on the email of 12.04.2020 and 13.08.2019 sent by the deceased may be a dereliction of duty or a casual approach by the applicant but cannot by any stretch mean to be an illegal omission under Section 107 IPC,\u201d the High Court said. And finally, the former secretary was granted anticipatory bail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The High Court further noted how toxic work culture is a plague that is blossoming in all the booming economies. The HC mentioned the overwork culture in Japan. And how the Japanese government acknowledged it as a socio-economic problem but not a criminal offence. The HC further added how some serious investigations must be done and more focus should be given to mental health in workspaces to help combat this plague in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can read about the entire proceeding here: https:\/\/indiankanoon.org\/doc\/81606337\/<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n On June 5, 2023, one video caught the eye of thousands of internet users. The video very brutally showcased the reality of today\u2019s work culture. The viral video showcased an official Google Meet of the HDFC bank employees of Kolkata. If you haven\u2019t watched the video yet, you might think it must be a professional meeting between the employees of the bank to talk about work. But the reality is far from the truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From crass language to explicit threats to one\u2019s life and well-being. This short viral video brought to light the brutal work environment today\u2019s workers are exposed to. The fact that many of the workers put up with it without making any complaints regarding the same just goes on to show how much we have normalised these activities in today\u2019s day and age. Had this video not gone viral the workers would have probably continued to face abuse at the hands of the management. Because of how much uproar it caused it made the bank come forward and start an investigation into the matter. This does raise the question, does one need to become viral in order to work in a healthy professional sphere?<\/p>\n\n\n\nCase 2: Death of A Woman by Suicide Due to Toxic Work Culture<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Case 3: Viral Video of HDFC Bank Employees Getting Harassed by a Senior Official<\/h2>\n\n\n\n